A Glimpse of Eternity
by Blue Aura Pulse
Summary: A stranger from another world requests Finn and Jake's help to return home and unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that awaken long forgotten secrets and magics in the Land of Ooo and beyond.
1. Dang Wormhole Jacked Up Our House!

All was quiet in the Land of Ooo. The evil influence of the Lich had seemingly been banished forever by Finn and Jake's exploits in the Time Room. The many kingdoms were flourishing, although not without occasional mishaps and minor disasters which were, of course, quickly fixed by our heroes.

But during these peaceful days, Finn still felt troubled for no easily explained reason. Something was different than it used to be, but what? The Ice King was still princess-napping every young girl with a crown he could find, Marceline was still jamming nightly all across Ooo, and Princess Bubblegum was still tinkering and toiling away in her lab day and night in the name of science. What was different?

It was this line of thought that led him to ask Jake a particular question on a particular lazy day being spent in the Tree Fort; a day which lacked danger or adventure. As Finn would describe it: a bad day.

"Hey man, why don't big things happen anymore?"

Jake stretched one eye to look at Finn while the other remained fixated on the game displayed on BMO's face. "What do you mean, bro?"

Shifting from an upside down slouch on the couch Finn thought hard about what he meant, because he honestly wasn't sure.

"Well, I guess it's just that the adventures we've had lately have been kind of… small. Ya know?"

"Small? You think dragons snacking on candy people, crazy tree animals snatching up throwing discs, and finding Xergiok living with birds in the desert are small?" the yellow dog chuckled to himself, "You're nuts man."

"I mean, those adventures were pretty cool and all, but they were over so fast. We've had lots of little adventures, but no big ones. Nothing like fighting the Lich." Finn shivered a bit at the thought of that dark entity that had once haunted Ooo with its wrong-teous intentions.

Jake paused his game, prompting the return of BMO's regular face to the screen. After a few quick belly scratches Jake replied, "Hmm, I think I know what you mean actually. Those adventures were like mini-games and not full length, multi-level, crazy action, suspenseful, real games."

BMO giggled. "You never finish the long games, Jake!"

"Long games are hard, man; I need nappy breaks and all that junk. Speaking of which, where's the rest of that sandwich I made this morning?" Jake began to stretch around the room, moving things around in search of his lunch.

Finn frowned at his friends, "Come on guys, I was being real and you got distracted! Things seem too quiet around here since the Lich is gone. _If_ he's gone I mean. We don't even know what happened to him, do we?"

Jake returned to his normal shape and landed in Finn's lap. "It's not like he could ever come back, right? I wished to change his wish in the Time Room so he must've gotten sucked into some kind of non-existing void or some biz. Why worry?"

"Maybe I'm just ready for the next big adventure, man." Finn placed Jake on the couch and stood up. "I'm ready to go out there and see the real deal again, with the fighting and the mysteries and the constant threat of a horrible death! My hero's soul hungers for an epic adventure that'll change everything!"

With a nonchalant sigh Jake returned to his game. "It's not like that kind of adventure just shoots out of a wormhole into the side of your house, man."

But oddly enough, that's exactly what happened next.

The wall right behind Finn exploded into splinters as something hit it at a very high speed. Finn, Jake, BMO, and what was left of Jake's sandwich flew in different directions as each of them (the sandwich excluded that is) attempted to make sense of the situation. Finn's hero reflexes kicked in and he landed on his feet with sword drawn. Jake and BMO landed less gracefully, and the sandwich stuck to the ceiling rather than landing at all.

"What the math just jacked up my house? Fight me now!" Finn yelled at the pile of planks on the far side of the room.

A split second later a figure emerged from the debris, weapon at the ready. Finn lunged at the mysterious entity with his demon blood sword but his blow was knocked away by a tiny shield on his opponent's arm. As Finn recovered and dodged the enemy's blade swipe he got a better look at his attacker. It was a boy, roughly the same age as Finn but maybe older with orange hair and solid blue eyes. His blade strokes were fluid, each leading into the next in a mesmerizing and mystical pattern.

After a few more exchanges which proved futile for both boys, the stranger held out his shield hand and shot out a pulse of light which Finn barely blocked with his enchanted sword.

"Glob, dude!" screamed Jake as he finally regained his wits and tried to restrain the strange boy with one of his stretchy arms. As the coiled arm closed around him the boy jumped, leaving Jake holding nothing but air.

"Shmow man, he's fast," said Finn.

"But where'd he go?" Jake called back, frantically searching for their visitor.

A voice called down from above, "Am I too quick for you?"

By the time Finn and Jake could find the source of the voice it had moved, leaving them confused once more.

"Over here!" Finn turned in time to see the boy charging toward him, sword ready. But before he could even react the stranger tripped over his own feet and lay sprawled on the living room floor in front of our heroes.

With a groan the embarrassed enemy said, "That could have gone better."

Jake quickly caged the boy while Finn snatched away his sword. The weapon did not suit Finn at all. It was curved rather than straight and had an odd, blue tint. The grip, complete with guard, was a golden color and was obviously well cared for as it shone brightly in the sunlight.

"What's the deal with you smashing up our tree house?" shouted Finn. "Answer me, fiend!"

Jake whispered in Finn's ear, "Calm down, Finny, we don't know who this kid is or anything."

"Oh yeah, that's right. _Who the math are you, man?!_"

The boy sat up and replied, "I mean you no harm, strangers."

"Mean us no harm? You attacked us with your sword and magic light thingy!"

The boy smiled sheepishly, "You drew on me first, it wasn't the best greeting I've ever gotten you know. Not the worst either though, there was that nasty meeting I had with the crystal witches and fire serpents. Oddly enough I tripped during that fight too… Oh sorry, I'm rambling."

Finn and Jake exchanged a glance that said, "This guy is weird but he doesn't seem like he really means any harm so we might as well let him go before we ask him anything else". It was a complicated glance obviously.

Jake retracted his cage-arm before repeating Finn's question about the boy's identity.

"My name is Bryce, son of Glyn. Hero of Asal, though I suspect I'm far from my land at the moment." This last statement brought a dark and somber expression to the stranger's face.

Finn put his sword away. The boy, Bryce, did have an outlandish look to him. His clothes were unlike anything Finn had ever seen. The outfit was mostly blue, a color similar to his eyes, but with several black stripes and swatches. Clasped around his neck was a short cape which made the boy look almost surreal, like one of the many statues Finn had seen in dungeons rather than a living thing.

"Aw, c'mon man no need to look so glum. Tell us how you got here and maybe we can help you find your way back."

Bryce looked up at Finn. "That's just the thing, I have no idea. One moment I was exploring a dungeon in search of treasure, picked up this thing, and bam. Straight through that wall. Sorry about that by the way, I will help you fix it or something." The item he was referring to looked somewhat like an average dinner plate, but with multiple indentations along the edges which looked like they had once been settings for jewels of some sort.

"Whoa, that thing opened the wormhole that jacked up our house?" Jake inquired with wide eyes.

Bryce nodded and rose to his feet. "But the item has changed since then. The gems around the outside disappeared when the portal opened, and now it seems kind of useless. Unless you wanna put a sandwich on it or something."

"Don't even think about it, Jake," Finn said as he saw a smile begin to creep across his brother's face. "That plate-thing must be really important and powerful if it brought this dude here from another world!"

"Yes, I agree!" Bryce exclaimed, obviously sharing Finn's excitement. "But the journey itself was not entirely pleasant. I glimpsed other worlds as I traveled to yours, worlds much darker and filled with monstrous creatures. I think something bigger than any of us is at work here. Something really big that's bound to lead to a crazy, awesome adventure."

"Dude." Finn began to breathe heavily. "This is exactly what I've been waiting for!"

Bryce's eyes lit up. "So you'll help me then, um… What are your names?"

"I'm Finn, and this is my best friend Jake, we're the heroes around these parts!"

"Yeah!" Jake agreed, "We find the bad guys and kick 'em in the boingloings!"

"We'll totally help you, bro!" cried Finn as he returned Bryce's sword.

Bryce placed the sword in a leather sheath which hung from his belt. "Fantastic, I can't thank you enough! But where do we start?"

"Easy, we go to the Candy Kingdom and ask Princess Bubblegum about that magical dinner plate thing. She's super smart and junk, she'll probably be able to help us somehow."

"Candy Kingdom?" Bryce asked, "what kind of strange world have a fallen into?"

"Haha, come check it out man!" said Jake as he hoisted both boys onto his now quite large back.

Finn laughed, "You know what time it is, Jake?"

"Aaaaaaadventure Time?"

"Yeah!" replied Finn as Jake took the first steps of their new journey.


	2. Leave it to Prubs

Bryce could barely contain his wonder as he surveyed the Land of Ooo. The view across the Grasslands to the Ice Kingdom to the North and the Candy Kingdom to the West was enough to take his breath away. The place seemed so different than his home, yet in a way similar. The contradiction made his already befuddled brain befuddled-er and he decided to abandon the thought altogether.

Although Jake could make short work of the distance to Princess Bubblegum's castle, he decided to take it slow for Bryce's sake, especially considering how shocked the boy had been to see Jake's body contort and stretch into such a large form.

"So, uh… Finn? How come your dog can shape shift and talk and stuff?"

Finn spun around to face his inquisitor, "Well, we think he has the stretchy powers because he rolled in a magic mud puddle when he was a puppy, but we're not really totes positive about that. As for the talking, well, all the dogs I know can talk here, is it not the same in your world?"

Bryce smiled sheepishly, "Honestly I couldn't tell you for sure. The people in my village know very little about our world as a whole. I'm one of the first adventurers to explore very far from the walls."

All of a sudden Finn's mind burst to life with fantasies about a whole untouched world just waiting for brave adventurers to uncover its secrets. "Man, you don't know how lucky you are. I'd give anything to explore all that unknown biz. Well, not anything. Defs not Jake here!"

Jake relocated his face to a spot on his back just between his two passengers. "Thanks bro, I wouldn't trade you for a crazy new world to explore either!"

"The world you do have seems pretty exciting though!" said Bryce. "Look at all this color, all the kingdoms filled with citizens! And this is just what I can see from your back, Jake! There must be so much out there to see!"

Fin laughed, "There sure is man, but we've seen most of it already. I'm glad you came smashing through our wall and got us started on this new quest and junk, I was starting to get bored and Jake was getting fat."

"It's true," Jake admitted as he reformed to include a saggy belly which drug the ground.

Bryce couldn't help chuckling at the dog's sense of humor. "I'm glad I landed in your house and not somewhere else, I'd be lost without you guys. Thanks again for your help."

"Yeah man, you could have ended up in the Ice King's castle, or worse, the Fire Kingdom." This thought forced a frown from Jake. "There wouldn't be much left of you then, those flame people are evil!"

"Hey!" Finn screamed, "Not all of them are evil!"

Finn and Jake continued to squabble as they entered the gates of the Candy Kingdom. Jake returned to his normal shape and the three walked side by side past a few banana guards who saluted them clumsily as they entered. The kingdom was bustling as usual that day, candy people scurried across streets and squares, each attending to business of their own or of their leader, Princess Bubblegum.

The size of the settlement was a surprise to Bryce, especially the gargantuan castle in the distance. He'd seen very few castles in his home world, most of which were filled with evil creatures rather than chewy, sweet royalty. He'd never met a princess either, which was all the more reason for his stomach to churn as they neared their destination.

He nudged Jake as they walked and whispered, "Is there anything I need to do in the presence of the princess? Do I bow or anything like that?"

"Nah man, PB's really cool. Just be yourself and you'll be fine, right Finn?"

But Finn's attention lay ahead at the entrance to the Candy Castle. "It looks like something's going down up there," he remarked to the other two as he squinted his eyes to make out the scene.

The three quickened their pace, but they heard the debacle long before they could see it. Of the many raised voices, two could be heard above all.

"For the last time, I will not grant you an audience with the princess! Now leave the Candy Kingdom or I will be forced to call the guards!" cried one voice, somewhat squeaky and high pitched.

Another voice replied, obviously very flustered. "Nyaaaaargh! We demand Mother Princess make us another brother!"

"Yes yes!" agreed what appeared to be a third person whose voice sounded alike to the second. "We cannot rule with only two! This leads only to tie after tie when voting on royal affairs!"

"Hmm, yes! Must break the ties! Must have a third brother!"

"Hmm!"

"Hmm!"

Now close enough to examine the scene, Bryce found himself staring at a large crowd centered around three… people? One stood defensively in the castle doorway. He was a very small, round figure with red stripes around the edges of his flat face and a formal blue suit. The other two looked eerily similar: both were quite tall and gangly aside from their heads, which were quite large and yellow. One wore a full outfit of gray, the other, white.

Finn rushed forward and stood beside the small man. "What do you want, Lemongrabs?" he asked with disdain, "You know you aren't supposed to come here!"

The Lemongrabs both let out several labored grunts and moans before replying.

"The Princess must help us!" yelled the first.

"Yes or punishment is required!" continued the other.

The small man poked Finn's leg to get his attention. "We can't reason with them, Master Finn, they're absolutely insane!"

Bryce watched Finn as he assessed the situation. Obviously the lemon people were not welcome here for one reason or another, but Finn was reluctant to simply run them off. Before long Jake was at Finn's side and the two began to discuss something quietly.

Suddenly Finn jumped as if he remembered something important. "Jake! Remember that thing we found in the Ice King's garbage?"

"The question and answer ball? Yeah, man, that thing is so math!"

Finn began to rummage through his backpack and pulled out a black sphere which he presented to the Lemongrabs.

"This thing is the solution to your problem, guys! All you gotta do is ask it a question, shake it up, and it'll answer it!"

"Aw man, you're giving it to the lemon freaks?" whined Jake, "You know how much I love that thing…"

"Aw c'mon Jake, they need our help. We can't let people in need suffer! We're heroes!"

_Impressive_, Bryce thought. _Even though they obviously dislike these guys, Finn chooses to give up something he loves to help them. They may be true heroes after all._

The Lemongrabs eagerly took the ball from Finn's hands and immediately began to shout question after question while shaking it violently.

"What color shall we paint the throne room?!"

"Is my left hand better than my right?!"

"Where does food come from?!"

"What is the purpose of lemon life?!"

The crowd began to disperse as the Lemongrabs, seemingly content with Finn's solution, began to shuffle away from the palace without a single word of thanks.

"Ya think they'll actually learn how to use it?" Jake asked.

"Who knows," replied Finn with a shrug, "But it got them to leave. You alright, Peppermint Butler?"

"Of course, Master Finn," squeaked the tiny man. "Thank you for your service, now how may I assist you today? Are you here to see the Princess?"

"You got it. Hey, Bryce, c'mere man!" Jake's call made Bryce realize just how long he'd been uninvolved in the conversation, and he came rushing forward to a greeting from Peppermint Butler.

"Good day, young sir, who might you be?"

"This is Bryce. He's from a different world, and got sent here by a magic plate or something, so we need to ask the princess if there's a way to send him back."

The tiny man bowed low, "Pleased to meet you, sir!"

"Nice to meet you too," Bryce replied quietly, somewhat unnerved in the creature's presence.

"Now, allow me to take you to the princess!" Peppermint Butler led them through the doors of the castle and through several more doors, up many sets of stairs, and down many hallways until they reached a plain door which Bryce would never have expected to contain a princess. The butler knocked and announced their arrival, and a few moments later the door opened.

"Finn, Jake! It's good to see you guys!" called a sweet voice through the open door. The princess ran out to embrace the two brothers. Finn looked a bit uncomfortable, but returned the hug nonetheless.

"I'll leave you all to talk then, I've business to attend to elsewhere," Peppermint Butler remarked as he turned to leave.

"See ya, Pep But!" yelled Finn as everyone passed through the door.

Bryce's eyes grew wide with wonder at the sight of the room. Lights of all different colors flashed on contraptions of various sizes. The devices whirred and popped at steady intervals and some even spoke to alert the operator, probably the princess, of the state of their functions. Jake had already taken a seat on the floor near one of the devices, which began to scratch behind his ears.

"So," began the princess, "Who's your friend, Finn?"

"This is Bryce," Finn said as he grabbed the boy's shoulder and pulled him to stand before Princess Bubblegum. "Son of Jim, champion of Salt. I may have glubbed some of that up, sorry bro."

Bryce stifled a laugh as he corrected Finn's introduction.

The princess extended her welcome and greetings before a contemplative look came to her face. "Asal? That's not a location I'm familiar with in the Land of Ooo."

"It's not part of Ooo. It's not even a part of this world, your highness." Bryce recounted the tale of his arrival in Ooo once more. The princess listened intently and smiled all the while, which comforted Bryce's nerves immensely. When he'd finished the Princess stood and approached one of the many contraptions around the room.

"So you say a strange item opened the portal that led you here?"

"Yes, princess, that's correct. You still have it, right, Finn?"

Finn removed his green backpack and began dumping items on the floor. Among a pile of sugar cubes, a sweater, and several spare socks he found the plate, which he then handed to the Princess.

"Hmm… Interesting…" muttered the Princess. "These indentations along the outside, did they contain gems when you found this thing?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

PB laughed, "This item reminds me of another one I examined a couple years ago. The Enchiridion, the hero's handbook. Finn retrieved it from a castle atop Mount Cragdor. He never did let me read it-"

"Heroes' eyes only, Princess!" interjected Finn.

Bubblegum shot him a nasty look before proceeding. "However I was allowed to run some tests on it. You see, the Enchiridion was not just a handbook, but also an enchanted item of great power. Inserting the gems from all the crowns of power in Ooo would open up a portal leading to the Time Room. Finn and Jake went there once to stop the Lich."

"The Lich?" inquired Bryce.

"Basically the most evil guy ever," explained Jake.

Finn nodded, "He took over our friend Billy's body and tricked us into helping him get to the Time Room. The guy that lives there grants everyone who visits a single wish."

"The Lich used his wish to exterminate all life, but Finn and Jake managed to use their wishes to stop him," finished the Princess.

Bryce began to pace. This story was pretty wild and he struggled to place all the pieces together in his head. _Apparently the item that sent me here bears strong resemblance to this Enchiridion. Perhaps we can learn more by comparing the two._

"So where's this Enchiridion now?"

Jake jumped up, "Oh, Finn broke it!"

"Yeah," Finn admitted, "I thought it would stop the Lich from opening the portal, but it turns out that smashing it was exactly how you get the portal to open. Totally lame if you ask me."

"Never fear, boys." The princess began typing furiously on her computer. Bryce looked on in awe with no comprehension whatsoever of what she was doing. "I did a complete scan of the Enchiridion when Finn let me study it. And no, Finn, I didn't read it just like I promised. But science demands caution, and I knew the book's secrets would be important someday."

A holographic version of the Enchiridion suddenly appeared in the center of the room.

"Algebraic!" shouted Finn.

"This is rather impressive, your highness," said Bryce. "How exactly does this magic work?"

"Not magic, _science_!" gushed the princess, which was apparently all the explanation she was willing to offer.

"So do you think that plate works like the Enchiridion did? If we put the gems in it will it send Bryce back where he came from?" asked Jake.

"I'm not so sure of that," PB replied. "This item didn't originate in Ooo so we can't be sure that inserting our gems will have any effect, and any effect it does have may not be identical to the Enchiridion's. I'd like to study this item a bit if that's okay with you, Bryce. There's no telling what I may be able to learn from it. Not just about how to send you back, but about your world."

"Of course, Princess Bubblegum. Thank you for your help!" Bryce couldn't help but like the princess. She had a sweet way about her, as if he could rely on her to have his own best interest at heart. Her presence was almost motherly, and made him feel not so alone in this strange world.

Prubs went to work immediately by inserting the disc into a machine to her left. After expressing their gratitude, the boys turned to go. Just before they reached the door, they heard Bubblegum call out again.

"I forgot to ask, Bryce, why it is that you have two left hands. Is that normal where you come from?"

Bryce lifted his arms so Finn and Jake could see.

"Dang man, sure enough," commented Finn.

"Um, no it isn't. People who are born with magical powers tend to have weird stuff like this happen to them. It may go away when I get older… or not, I don't really know."

"Fascinating…" Bubblegum commented absentmindedly, already fully absorbed into the task at hand.

Finn and Jake shrugged and walked out of PB's lab. Bryce looked away from his hands and quickly followed them, tripping once or twice in the process. _Gotta fix this clumsy problem, man. You're embarrassing yourself in front of princesses and junk_.


	3. In the Meantime

In the Meantime…

Finn wanted to leave the castle as fast as his feet could carry him. Things had been strange between him and Princess Bubblegum for a while, but it usually wasn't hard to bear. The only time the feeling really got to him was on sojourns to the heart of the princess's domain, filled with memories of smiles, laughs, and even more that the two of them had shared.

But those days were gone. PB had wanted it that way, and looking back Finn felt the same.

By the time Bryce caught up to them Finn had cleared out most of his brain funk and was able to smile as Jake joked about all the funny noises in the laboratory.

"I swear man, all those things in there are fart machines or something. You've got your little toots, your drawn out whispers, and even the giant pants cannons! She just doesn't wanna admit it 'cause she's a girl and girls aren't supposed to like farts."

_Is this really what goes on in Jake's brain all the time?_ Finn thought to himself. _Doesn't he ever worry, or freak out, or wonder about deep stuff?_ But if he were to be completely honest, this was what Finn loved most about Jake. His genial, bombastic personality was a rock in Finn's life, something he could always rely on when he needed a boost.

When Jake finished his reproduction of most of the sounds he'd heard in Princess Bubblegum's lab, Bryce seized the opportunity to speak up. "So, uh, what do we do now, guys?"

Finn had nearly forgotten that their guest wasn't native to Ooo or familiar with their adventuring style at all. "Well, while we wait for Prubs to get back to us, we can kinda just do whatevs. I'm sure something will pop up any second, something always does."

They passed through the gates of the Candy Kingdom, once more being saluted by the banana guards, one of which fell over in the process.

Rather than stretching and letting the boys ride home, Jake turned his attention to Bryce. "Hey man, we really don't know much about you still. Mind helping us out a little with that?"

Bryce's blue eyes lit up, as if he was glad that someone remembered he was there, "Oh yes, of course, Jake! But I don't really know where to start." The boy laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

"That's not a problem, bro, just keep talking and it'll work itself out. Words are weird like that, ya know? You say one and the rest just pour out, kind of like throwing up. You don't mean to do it, but once you start you can't stop."

Both encouraged and amused by Jake's advice, Bryce began to tell Finn and Jake about his homeland, Asal. The village he grew up in had a name which no one used; they simply called it The Box because of its high walls and cramped interior. Most of The Box's citizens were simple tradesmen and laborers with an artisan or two mixed in. Bryce's father, however, was a warrior through and through. He'd done his fair share of adventuring in his youth, but eventually settled in the village to raise his son. There he made a modest living working amongst the town guard and providing lessons in swordplay to some of the more daring townspeople.

Bryce's face shone with pride as he spoke about his father, and Finn couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy for his new friend. Finn had never met either of his parents, and he wasn't even sure if they were still alive, much less anywhere he could find them. It was a thought that often plagued him, making him soul-searchy and weird: was he truly the last human in Ooo? This question contributed greatly to Finn's thirst for adventure, for he hoped that maybe someday he could find just one tiny shred of evidence that would point to his parents, or even just more humans like him.

"My father taught me everything I know about combat, and he often said I was born with a hero's soul and a true aptitude for adventure. But then again, I can't even express how many times my clumsiness has made him laugh or nearly gotten someone hurt." Bryce stared pitifully at his two left hands. "Sometimes I wonder if he just says things like that to make me feel better about myself. Maybe I'm really not cut out for adventuring after all, ya know?"

Finn put his arm around Bryce's shoulder, "You can't doubt yourself like that, brother! You definitely have fighting skills; I could barely keep up with you when we fought back at the tree fort."

Solid blue eyes looked hopefully at the human boy for a few seconds before sinking to the ground. "Yes," Bryce responded, "I really thought I had an edge at first, but I screwed it up like I always do. Having two left hands throws off my coordination. I wish I could have been born normal like you, Finn…"

Jake wrapped an arm several times around both boys' shoulders and positioned himself at eye level with Bryce. "But your two left hands make you able to use magic, right? Without a wand or magic cloak or anything? I think that's pretty math! Neither of us can do that!"

Finn nodded in agreement, "Jake's right, totally math! Just because you have one thing bringing you down doesn't mean you can't be a hero!" His own fear of the ocean came to mind, but he wasn't quite ready to share that part of himself with Bryce yet.

"Thank you, Finn and Jake." The look of relief on their friend's face proved that their encouragement had been enough. "I'll just have to keep working at it! Like my father always says, 'The rusty sword will slay the least dragons!'"

"We've got your back too, Bryce! 'Cause we're your homies, and homies help homies!" Jake said as he retracted his arm.

Before anyone could say another word a loud cry echoed over the grasslands. All three adventurers froze in place as they listened intently to the sound.

"Me thinks I hear a cry for help!" shouted Finn.

With an enlarged ear Jake was able to indicate the direction of the trouble and scooped up both boys before running toward it at top speed on noodly little legs.

"You were right about something coming up. Finn!" yelled Bryce over the wind.

Finn just smiled and prepared himself for whatever danger laid waiting for them at their destination.


	4. All in a Day's Work

As the heroes neared the source of the distress call, it became blatantly obvious to Jake exactly who was producing the scream. Only one person in the Land of Ooo could shriek non-stop for over a minute and wail loud enough for the sound to be carried several miles across the Grasslands. Lumpy Space Princess.

Jake had never truly enjoyed LSP's company, and she was often more of a nuisance than a friend, but Finn always reminded him that the odd girl needed them and that he should try to be nice. When it came down to it, Jake always found himself concerned for her when she was in danger, but that didn't make her any more bearable under normal circumstances.

On one occasion she accidentally bit him, causing him to contract the lumps. On another she weaseled her way into the tree fort to become Finn and Jake's "adventure secretary" and ended up eating their food and putting herself in danger while trying to seduce Finn. But Jake knew she wasn't trying to be a butt, she'd just been spoiled as a child and never really even attempted to understand how her actions affected other people.

_Of course we'll help her, _he thought, _and maybe this time she'll actually say thank you._

Jake stepped carefully around thick trees as they entered the woods that LSP now called home. She'd run away from her parents' house in Lumpy Space over a year ago and vowed never to return. Jake knew for a fact that this was a lie, as she returned quite frequently for free food and other amenities.

LSP's screaming was now all but unbearable as the three heroes reached her campsite. Finn and Bryce drew their swords and began to search the area for whatever threat was present. Jake stopped to appreciate how well coordinated the two seemed to be for having only met each other a few hours ago. The boys were kindred spirits it seemed, and adventurers at heart. They understood what needed to be done and were able to communicate with the slightest motions and glances.

Rather than messing up the boys' mojo, Jake decided to search for LSP. She was definitely close, evidenced by her ever present howls of fear and anger, but she proved difficult to locate even for Jake's heightened dog senses. Luckily, Jake was no ordinary dog, and his powers gave him a much better vantage point for his task.

For as long as he could remember, Jake had been using his stretching powers for mischief and heroism in equal amounts. He'd been quite the handful for his mother, Margaret, in his youth, and a thorn in the side of the authorities in his raucous rebel phase. He'd pulled off major heists with his criminal gang in every kingdom of Ooo, his powers making his a nearly unstoppable thief and bruiser.

But those days were behind him now. For many reasons he'd decided to give up his life of crime. He could never pinpoint exactly what it was that had made up his mind. Perhaps it was meeting Lady, his rainicorn girlfriend, who had helped him slow down and enjoy life a bit more. Or maybe it was Finn; after they moved in together Jake had found himself wanting to do good more than ever. The kid had the most righteous heart and intentions of anyone Jake had ever met. Whatever the reason, Jake was now fully devoted to the protection of the innocent and the beating of bad dudes all across Ooo.

Soon LSP's purple, lumpy body became visible through the shroud of leaves and Jake leaned down to get a better look at her dilemma. She was running, or rather floating at a higher speed than normal, from several gnomes who cackled with fiendish delight at her fear. As far as Jake was concerned, gnome butts were ripe for the kicking in any situation.

"Oh my glob! Someone help me!" cried Lumpy Space Princess for the billionth time, reminding Jake that he was here to help, not ponder as if narrating to an audience.

Wrapping his legs around the nearest tree, Jake shot his arms toward the lumpy girl. "Don't worry, LSP, Jakey's gotcha!"

As his arms looped around his target, the gnomes turned their attention to him. Seeing that he was obviously a bigger threat, they all launched lightning spells in his direction. With some precarious contortion, Jake dodged the blasts with only slight singes to his golden fur. The gnomes had no chance for a second barrage, Finn and Bryce burst from the trees on both sides of the creeps, effectively trapping them.

As the boys engaged their enemies, Jake reeled in LSP.

"Oh, Jake, thanks for saving me from those gnome guys. They wanted my lumps, I know they did, but I said no way, gurl!"

Already exhausted by the sound of her voice, Jake just agreed and turned to watch the fight. Gnomes are dangerous from a distance, but by engaging them at close range Finn and Bryce had taken the advantage. They easily dodged spell after spell while slowly boxing the creatures in. Before long the gnomes could barely move without elbowing each other, which made each one furious at the gnome next to him. Before long they were fighting each other rather than their true enemies, and Jake used this opportunity to flick them all away with one giant finger.

Finn and Bryce turned their attention to Lumpy Space Princess, whom Jake had placed on the ground next to them. They established that she was unharmed, and pretty well collected considering how manic she'd been only moments before. But that was just how LSP operated; something in her lumpy brain gave her short bouts of raw energy which caused emotional breakdowns before drying up and leaving her totally complacent and disinterested in whatever was happening around her. Jake understood though, after all he'd been turned into a lumpy person for a short while, as had Finn. It was just one thing about her species that would never change, no matter how badly everyone else wished it would.

"Oh yeah," mumbled LSP, already typing furiously on her cell phone, "Thanks for saving me and stuff, that was pretty cool of you guys."

"No problem, Lumpy Space Princess," said Finn.

"You're a princess as well?" asked Bryce, "There seem to be a lot of them around here."

This forced the lumpy girl to look up. "Oh my glob you guys, who's your friend?"

Jake shot Bryce an expression that said "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE". I mean, literally he formed those exact words on his face. Bryce only stared in confusion, and a split second later, LSP was at his side and obviously inside his comfort zone.

"Hey, I don't think we've met, hero," crooned LSP in her most seductive voice. Jake nearly barfed as he squeezed himself between the two.

"LSP, this is Bryce. Bryce, Lumpy Space Princess. Okay, you've met. We should get going, right, Finn?"

"Uh, yeah man! Got hero biz to do! Bye, LSP, stay safe!"

Jake pulled the boys onto his back and formed a slingshot with his limbs using the trees as support. After pulling his stretched arms taut he launched through the air in the direction of the tree fort.

"That was, uh, frightening," stammered a stunned Bryce as he gripped Jake's fur for dear life.

Finn gave him an apologetic look, "Yeah, sorry about LSP, she takes some getting used to."

_Understatement of the century_, thought Jake as he shifted into an airplane shape. Large flaps of skin caught the air currents and were able to safely carry them to the door of their home.

"I hope you boys know what time it is now!" Jake said with a smile and a nudge for both of his passengers.

Finn and Bryce looked at each other with equally puzzled faces.

With a harrumph of disappointment, Jake slid them off his back and returned to his normal shape. "Lunch Time of course!" he yelled as he whipped open the front door.


	5. Leads Are Leads

"That has got to be the biggest sandwich I have ever seen." Bryce stared in awe at the mountain of meat, cheese, and bread on Jake's plate. "How are you even going to fit that in your mouth?"

Jake paused mid-bite, "Like this, silly." The dog's mouth grew to fifty times its normal size and enveloped the sandwich in a single chomp followed promptly by a manly belch and a pleasant "excuse me."

"Oh yeah, your powers," Bryce laughed as he began his much more reasonably sized lunch. He was beginning to feel much more comfortable around his new comrades, and found it much easier to carry on whole conversations rather than just quick exchanges followed by a whole mess of awkward silence.

As Finn and Bryce ate, they talked about all kinds of things: weapon preferences, theoretical fightonomics, and even girls. Finn seemed to be an open book, willing to share nearly any bit of information about himself in a heartbeat. Bryce was most fascinated by his description of his girlfriend, Flame Princess, and the origins of the crimson sword Finn carried on his pack. It had belonged to his adoptive father, Jake's real dad Joshua, and had been in the family for generations. The dark red color was a reflection of the sword's most crucial component: demon blood.

"How does someone forge a sword out of blood?" Bryce asked.

"I dunno, man," replied Finn, "Maybe it's just enchanted with it or something, I've never actually tried to figure it out. All I know is that it looks radical and slices every bad guy butt it meets!"

Bryce's father had always told him that half the worth of a warrior was in his weapon. A fine blade with which you truly connect will serve you much better than one which belongs to someone else or is poorly crafted. In a way, the sword chooses the warrior just as the warrior chooses the sword. Finn's love and meticulous care for his blood sword rivaled Bryce's connection to his own blade, Luminos. He'd collected every material to forge the sword on his own, and dedicated many sleepless nights to polishing and sharpening its sleek, curved surface. It never strayed out of arms reach, who knew when Bryce would need it most?

Before long, the conversation was interrupted by loud snoring. Jake had fallen asleep with his legs propped on the table and his arms nestled behind his head. Finn reached over and shook his friend awake, "Hey man you can't sleep now, we still have to fix that hole in the wall!"

Jake let out a childish moan. "Ugh, fine. But you know how Jakers gets when he doesn't get his sleep."

With a quick pat on the head Finn assured him that he could take a nap as soon as the hole was repaired. "With three cool dudes working on it, it'll be done super quick like!" promised Finn as they entered the living room. But to everyone's surprise, the wall looked exactly as it had that morning before Bryce's dramatic entrance, and there was BMO driving the last nail with a hammer nearly the size of his body.

"Oh, you guys are back," stated the little computer, "BMO has fixed the wall for you!"

"Shmow, BMO, how'd you do that on your own?" asked Finn.

"It just took a little bit of elbow grease is all." A pixelated smile flashed across BMO's screen that made Bryce grin as well. The little guy was adorable, and obviously quite capable.

"So," BMO continued, "What have you fellows been up to today?"

They took turns recounting the events of the morning as BMO cleaned up the rest of the supplies and tools he'd used to repair the room. Although Bryce had little understanding of machinery, he could tell that BMO's hardware was incredibly complex to create such sentience. Finn had described him as a "computer", but he was much more than that. He was capable of logical thought, emotion, and had a personality all his own. This machine was a person through and through whether blood flowed through him or not.

"Don't worry, the princess will figure something out, she always does. Now, I need to go pee!" BMO said as he ran down the hall to the bathroom.

Bryce began to ask, "Does he really-"

"Nah," Finn answered, "But BMO likes to think he's alive like the rest of us, so we just kind of go with it. We don't want to hurt his feelings or mess him up, ya know?"

_That may be one of the saddest things I've ever heard_, thought Bryce. He tried to imagine for a moment how it would feel to constantly long for something you could never have, something that defied the very laws of the universe. _Then again, we all do that to some degree. Always wanting what we can never have, it's just the nature of living things_. He smiled, _BMO is more alive than he realizes after all_.

A knock at the door forced Bryce back to reality. He took a seat on the couch as Jake answered it and returned with none other than Princess Bubblegum. Everyone situated themselves in the living room and the princess held up a hand to prevent them from saying a word yet.

"Before you guys ask, yes I have some answers for you. However, these answers only lead to more questions to which I have no more answers."

"Uh, you lost me, Peebles," said a confused Finn.

Bubblegum pulled the plate Bryce had brought from his world out of her bag. "This item proved very useful, thank you for bringing it to me, boys. With it I was able to solve some riddles left over from the ordeal with the Lich and the Enchiridion."

His curiosity piqued, Bryce spoke up, "Would you mind explaining that, your highness?"

The princess turned to him and smiled, "Certainly!" She reached into her bag again and pulled out a machine, much smaller than the ones in her lab, and activated it. A hologram appeared which diagrammed the Enchiridion and what Bryce supposed were the gems that activated it.

"You see, I was curious for the longest time as to why these particular jewels triggered such a response from the Enchiridion, and why the Enchiridion had such incredible power in the first place. Sure, the book is ancient and holds many powerful secrets, but it is still just a book. Or so I thought."

She placed the plate on the table next to her projector. "After making some modifications to my aura visualizer-"

"That thing that made Crunchy look like a rainbow?" asked Jake.

"Yes, precisely. After modifying it I placed the plate inside. The aura it emitted was incredible! Here's a diagram of that." She pushed another button on the projector and a new image took the place of the Enchiridion.

All three boys gasped in wonder at the phenomenon before them. Swirls of energy floated before them in a tightly bound spiral. Each individual particle sparkled a unique color or shade, and as hard as Bryce stared he could not find two that were alike.

"I've never seen such a complex aura," continued PB, "But this is also the first time I'd attempted placing an inanimate object in the device. On a whim, I placed the gem from my crown in it as well. As Finn and Jake already know, this is one of the gems that the Enchiridion required to open the portal to the Time Room. The results are… mind blowing."

Bryce watched her press the same button as before, but the picture didn't change this time.

"What gives, P Bubs? It's the same aura!" said Jake.

She looked at the dog with eyes aglow, "And that is exactly what I find so extraordinary, Jake! A magical item from Bryce's world, Asal, emitting the same aura as my own crown? The odds are insurmountable!"

Bryce's pulse quickened, this was more than he ever could have hoped to learn. "So you think the two items are somehow connected, princess?"

"Correct! I ran several tests and the auras are one hundred percent identical. This means they are undoubtedly connected, and may even share the same origins. This led me to believe that this aura was contained inside the Enchiridion and the other crowns of power in Ooo as well!"

Finn jumped out of his seat, "Okay, so we know that this connection exists, can we use it to get Bryce home?"

"Well.." the princess paused, which made Bryce's heart sink. "That's just one of the many questions I can't answer yet. But I may have some leads that you boys can follow up on.

"We're all about leads, Prubs!" shouted Finn.

"Of course you are Finn," she replied as she fiddled with the projector once more. This time a map of Ooo appeared before them with several locations lit up with flashing indicators. "I scanned the entire continent, and these locations all contain something which echoed the aura we're searching for. If I remove the locations of the other gems we're left with these." Several of the indicators disappeared, but a good amount remained.

"What do you think is reflecting that aura in these locations?" Bryce inquired.

Bubblegum shook her head, "I have absolutely no idea, guys. But I have a feeling I can rely on you all to find out."

Jake stretched his arm into the next room and brought back a pencil and paper. After working furiously for a few moments he stopped and examined the page. "Looks like we've got Billy's cave, the Lich's well of power, Turtle Princess's library, and… Marceline's house? What the junk could be there?"

"I wondered that as well." A sour look had spread across Bubblegum's face. "But as you know, Marceline is much older than any of us, and she could know more than she lets on."

The princess's sudden hostility towards this Marceline made Bryce uncomfortable. What sort of person would you have to be to receive the wrath of a candy princess?

Finn began to run around the room, collecting his adventure gear. "I guess we know what we have to do then!" he said as he placed the sword through a loop on his backpack.

Princess Bubblegum pulled one final item from her bag and handed it to Finn. "You can use this pendant to communicate with me at any time. If you need assistance, don't hesitate to ask. This is a very important mission for Bryce as well as Ooo and there's no telling what kind of information or dangers you'll uncover. The most important thing is that you three come back safely."

After saying their goodbyes and expressing a great deal of gratitude, PB climbed atop a large bird she called The Morrow and flew off toward the Candy Kingdom. Finn shoved PB's pendant and the magical plate into his pack as Bryce strapped on his sword.

"Where to first?" Jake asked as they closed the front door behind them.

Finn looked thoughtful for a second before responding. "Well we don't have long before dark so we should probably go wherever we think will be quickest. Marceline's place?"

"Sounds like a plan, homie! You ready, Bryce?"

"Of course!" Bryce allowed himself to feel true hope as they left to pursue their first lead.


	6. The Vampire Queen

Finn slid down a dusty hill into the shadow of an old, paved highway. Unbeknownst to the human boy, millions of people like him had once driven this road on family road trips, business ventures, and lovers' weekends. What brought Finn and his friends there was nothing of that sort; they'd come to visit the vampire queen who resided in the cave beneath the road.

From where he stood Finn could barely make out the idyllic cottage in the cave that Marceline called home. It was a rather ironic lair for a creature such as her, but Finn gave this very little thought.

Jake and then Bryce slid down the hill after him, and Bryce squinted as he stared into the opening before him.

"Seems, uh, homey," he said shakily. The cave itself resembled a vampire with fang shaped rock formations protruding from a gaping mouth, ready to swallow visitors whole.

Jake patted his friend on the back, "It's actually really nice on the inside. Except the couch, that thing will bust your butt-chops."

Finn led the way into the cavern and up the stairs to Marceline's front door. "Do you think she'll even be awake yet, Jake? After all, it isn't dark yet."

"Hmm," Jake scratched his chin, "Well if she's not she'll probably kill us for waking her up." He stretched his face up within an inch of Finn's, "Literally kill us."

Finn laughed, "Come on man, I think you're still just scared of her. You know she wouldn't do that jive to her homies."

"I've gotta say, you guys are inspiring me with confidence over here…" Bryce muttered as he kicked his heels anxiously.

A piercing hiss erupted behind the boys, "You're right to fear the dark, little morsel!"

Bryce leaped into Jake's arms, who stretched onto the roof in the blink of an eye.

A shadow emerged from behind the white picket fence which surrounded the yard. What was at first a grotesque form suddenly shifted into a lithe young woman, both beautiful and terrifying to behold. Long, dark hair flowed nearly to the ground, which she was not touching. Instead she floated with her legs and arms crossed and an amused smirk on her face.

"Hey hey, Marceline!" Finn said with a dynamic wave.

"Hey Finn," Marceline glanced up toward Jake and Bryce, "Looks like wienies number one and two found a number three."

Jake scowled, "Why you gotta do that, Marcie? I just about dumped my lunch load on your steps!" He lowered himself and his passenger down to the lawn.

The dark beauty floated lazily to Jake's side, "You just make it too easy, wiener dog, how can a girl resist? Now, I'm assuming there's a good reason you chumps came here uninvited."

"We came here following an aura signature that Prubs picked up," Finn explained. "It's really important to our friend Bryce here that we find the source of it."

Marceline turned her attention momentarily to Bryce, who smiled back weakly. "He's not from Ooo, is he?"

Three jaws dropped, and Jake's even hit the ground.

"H-how did you know?" Bryce stuttered in sheer amazement.

The vampire queen lounged in midair with both arms behind her head and legs extended. "Kid, I've wandered just about every corner of this place in the last thousand years and I've never seen anything like you or your goofy outfit." Her obsidian hair swirled as she repositioned in front of Bryce, "Your eyes look unreal, your clothes are made of materials I've never even seen, and… do you have two left hands?"

Bryce tried his best to keep eye contact with the vampire, but her gaze was so intent and piercing that he had to look away. "Y-yeah, I'm not really sure why."

"Weird. Anyway, maybe you guys should come inside, I feel like this is gonna take a while." Marceline looked longingly at the darkness that had gathered outside, "We're burning moonlight anyway I suppose."

She opened the front door and the heroes filed into the house. Rather than sitting on the torture rack of a couch Marceline kept in her living room, Finn took a seat on the floor. Jake and Bryce followed suit, and Marceline joined them after retrieving an apple from the kitchen.

"Can't miss the most important meal of the day," she said as she sank a single fang into the red fruit. Finn looked on as all color drained from it, leaving it bleak and lifeless. It was kind of uncomfortable watching Marcie eat the color out of red objects, but Finn knew it was far better than her deciding to go with a traditional diet of blood.

After landing gently on the floor across from the boys, Marceline invited them to tell her the whole story of their arrival in her cave. Finn took the lead in relaying the events of the day, from Bryce's sudden appearance to PB's explanation of the aura signature and the connection between Bryce's world and the Enchiridion.

"And there's a trace of that same aura here," he finished.

Marceline looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "The Enchiridion, huh? Gimme a second, guys."

With that she flew up through a hole in the ceiling to the second floor of the house. Sounds of objects being tossed aside and shuffled around followed her departure, and after a few moments Marceline returned carrying a shoe box, which she placed on the floor in front of Finn.

"That dorky old Ice King left these here a while ago. Probably for the best, he's too far gone to remember what any of it means anyway…" A wistful look crossed her face and Finn thought for a moment that he saw tears welling up in her eyes, but it only lasted a moment before being replaced by Marceline's typical, teasing grin. "Man, the stories these things could tell you guys." Marceline removed the lid from the shoe box and began to dig through a pile of papers inside.

"What is all that?" asked Jake.

"These all belonged to the Ice King; they're old pictures and newspaper articles, and personal effects of his from before the Great Mushroom War."

As she searched the box she occasionally handed a page or two to Finn, who examined and passed them on to his fellows. Most of them were covered with the scrawled handwriting of the Ice King and said things like, "I'm also working on my pecs," or "Wildberry Princess could be better." But beneath the garbled writing Finn could make out the kind of things Marceline was really trying to show them.

The papers were very old, possibly ancient, and were all somehow related to Simon Petrikov, the Ice King's former self. As Finn understood it, that had been the Ice King's real name before he came into contact with the crown. The crown was what had made the poor old man who he was today: a sad, demented shell of a person who could barely understand who he was or why he existed.

The contents of this box told a more in-depth story than the few tidbits Finn and Jake had seen on some of the Ice King's old video tapes. Each new morsel of information made Finn's pity for the old wizard grow. He hadn't wanted to become what he'd become.

Marceline broke the solemn silence, "Ah, here's the one I was looking for!" After gazing longingly at the photograph for several seconds, she handed it to Finn. Jake and Bryce leaned over to take a look as well. It was a photo of Simon Petrikov, considerably younger than the Simon they'd seen on the Ice King's tapes, holding a tattered brown book.

"The Enchiridion!" exclaimed Finn and Jake in unison.

Marceline nodded, "Exactly. Simon discovered it a while before the war broke out, it was one of the largest discoveries of his career."

Bryce took the picture from Finn, "And this is over a thousand years old? This Enchiridion of yours is even more ancient than I could have imagined!"

"You know what's even more interesting?" Marceline asked, "Not long after this, Simon also discovered the crown he still wears today. A crown which contains one of the gems of power you dweebs used to activate the Enchiridion."

"Whoa, this is heavy, man," breathed Finn.

"Could the Ice King himself tell us more about all of this?" Bryce inquired.

"Doubt it," replied Jake, "he's just a couple miles over the border of crazy town."

Marceline glared at him for a moment, then hung her head. "Unfortunately, he's right. Simon doesn't remember any of this, or even me. But after all these years, all the time we've been apart, I still remember him and everything he did for me. He's the reason I'm still alive to tell his story."

Finn put his hand on Marceline's, "Hey, don't be so glum, Marcie, maybe there's a way to make him remember!" He had no idea if this was really true or not, but hoped it would lift her spirits.

"I've tried everything short of magic already, and I don't know if it would be safe to take it any further. He's very old and possibly unstable. I don't want to hurt him accidentally, ya know?"

Jake leapt to his feet, "Wait a minute, remember that wacked out sleep powder your jerk ex-boyfriend used to send us into your memories? Do you think if we used that on the Ice King, we could go in and see things he may have forgotten?"

Marceline's face lit up, "That's actually a really great idea, Jake. I'm impressed. But that powder is incredibly hard to find, I don't know where Ash got so much of it. And anyway, going into the Simon's memories won't answer a lot of the questions we still have."

"True," answered Finn, "I guess we'll just have to save that idea for later and focus on something else."

Marceline started placing the scraps of paper gently back into the box. "What I really want to know is why that scan Bonnibel did picked something up here."

"I was afraid you'd say something like that," sighed Bryce. "How do we go about finding it if Marceline doesn't even know what it is?"

Finn slipped off his backpack. "I guess we'll do what we always do when we're stuck, call P Bubs." He found the pendant she'd given him little more than an hour ago and placed it around his neck. "Finn to Prubs, you there, Princess?"

After a brief delay the crystal pendant shot out a bolt of pink light which materialized into a holographic frame. Princess Bubblegum's head appeared before him courtesy of the identical pendant around her own neck.

"Hey, Finn, calling so soon?"

Marceline swooped behind Finn's shoulder and waved with her fingers, "Hi there, Bonnibel!"

The Princess's expression soured at the sight of the vampire queen, "Hello Marceline. Now I know which lead you decided to follow up on first I guess."

Finn blushed, "Yeah, Marceline was able to tell us a lot about the Enchiridion, but she doesn't know what's causing your sensor thing to go off here, so the trail has kind of run cold."

The view inside the prismatic frame shifted as Bubblegum put down her pendant to begin typing at a nearby terminal. "Hmm, it seems that the aura signature is weakest in Marceline's house, strange since it's actually the closest to the scanner's epicenter. Whatever my sensors are picking up there hardly contains the aura at all." After some more furious typing she picked up the pendant again, "Okay, I've made a slight modification to my crystal. Using its connection to yours I should be able to detect the aura if you point your crystal at the source."

"Dang, Bonnie, you work fast. If this works, I may even compliment you," Marceline teased. "But does this mean I have to let this little dork point his necklace at all my stuff?"

"I refuse to dignify that query with a response," PB replied icily.

Finn began to roam around the living room, shoving the pendant right at anything and everything he could find, including Jake's butt.

"Whoa there, buddy, there may be auras down there, but I imagine they're a little funkier than the one you're looking for," complained Jake.

"I almost forgot you were here, Jake, you're quieter than usual," commented Marceline as she settled above the couch to stay out of Finn's way.

"I was just listening, I know to shut it when important stuff is going on!"

"Just saying, it's strange."

Finn wandered from room to room with no response from Bubblegum's scanner. "Only place left to check is upstairs, do you mind, Marce?"

"Here, let me," she replied as she snatched away the pendant and flew to her quarters.

"Do you think that contraption really works?" Bryce questioned doubtfully. As if responding to his lack of faith, a beeping noise floated down the stairs along with a cry of excitement from Princess Bubblegum.

"That's it, Marceline! The signature is coming from that item!"

A dumbstruck Marceline drifted back to the living room grasping her most prized possession: her bass guitar. The instrument was crafted using an old battle axe, and was, in Finn's opinion, one of the most radical things in existence.

"B-but, my bass? How?" Marceline returned the pendant to Finn and delicately cradled her guitar.

"There may be more to that instrument than even you know," replied Bubblegum, "I may have to examine it here in my lab to find out what though."

Marceline's eyes glowed red and sharp claws replaced her fingers, "No one touches the bass, sweet cheeks!" Pillars of flame grew in a circle around her and the house began to shake, "Especially not _you!"_

The boys jumped away from their vampire friend.

"Okay, okay, no one's examining anything! Just calm down, Marcie!" pleaded Finn as he crawled away from the growing fire.

Her countenance shifted to one of resolved stability and the flames vanished. "That's what I thought, mortals."

An awkward silence overtook the room. Jake began to whistle a jaunty tune to break the silence.

"Sooo…" ventured Bryce, "If no one's examining that thing, where does that leave us?"

Marceline scowled, "There's only one person who knows more about this bass than me. The person who owned it before I, uh, repossessed it: my dad."

_Ah bumslops_, thought Finn. He and Marceline's father didn't have the best track record; the former having sliced open the latter's soul sack when they first met. Marceline's father was the ruler of the Nightosphere-a dimension sustained by chaos which supposedly existed parallel to Ooo-and, upon being unleashed on the world accidentally by Finn, had attempted to suck the soul out of every living thing he could find. Still, last time they met the deathless being known as Hunson Abadeer he had insisted that Finn and Jake were actually pretty cool.

"Okay, so your dad can help us?" asked Bryce, "That's great!"

"Well, sort of," grumbled Marceline. "I guess I have no other choice here, do I? Finn, you remember the ritual, right?"

"You bet!"

As Finn ran into the kitchen to find some bug milk he heard Bryce say, "Ritual? What's going on here?"

"Well, my dad is from another dimension too, weird how I didn't realize that before. The gate to his world, the Nightosphere, can be opened using a certain ritual. Oh, and he may suck out your soul if he's in a bad mood. Just warning you."

When Finn returned he saw that Marceline had already drawn the required happy face on the wall.

"You ready, Marce?" he lofted the milk carton above his head.

Marceline let out a sigh, "Yeah, let's get this over with…"

Finn chucked the milk at the happy face, and the white fluid started to run down the wall. But after a few seconds, the face began to glow and the milk flowed back up the wall to be absorbed into the lines of the drawing.

"Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum!" shouted Marceline.

Jake grabbed Finn and Bryce and pulled them back to a safe distance as the wall split apart to reveal a backdrop of flames. A mass of organs appeared in the portal, which quickly organized themselves into a humanoid shape. Blueish skin stretched over the organs, followed by a dark suit, and in an instant Hundon Abadeer stood before them.

The crystal around Finn's neck began to beep wildly, "Finn!" cried Princess Bubblegum, "My scanners just went off the charts at your location! That portal from the Nightosphere uses the same sort of energy as the Enchiridion and Bryce's plate!"

"You called, Marceline," said Hunson Abadeer mildly, "I've only been waiting to hear from you for the last six months. Honestly, young lady, I can't rely on you to stay in touch at all."

"And so it begins," Marceline grumbled to herself. Then in a more civil voice she replied, "Sorry, daddy, I've been a little busy. We need your help with something, but first you have to promise me not to suck anyone's soul while you're here!"

Hunson Abadeer crossed his arms and stared down his daughter. "Fine. I wouldn't want you writing a song about that too, would I?" Marceline's cheeks turned a bright shade of red as she tilted her head to the ground.

Finn stepped forward, "Hey, Marceline's dad, we have some questions for you about Marcie's axe bass."

Abadeer turned to the human boy, "Oh, hello there Finn. I thought I smelled the disgusting stench of righteousness." He took another whiff of the air, "And a filthy mutt to boot, Jake I see you back there. But who's this new morsel?"

He approached and stood in front of Bryce. If the boy had found Marceline frightening, Hunson Abadeer was likely the stuff of nightmares. His very presence exuded a sense of dread and horror unmatched by any living thing. He was likely the most direct personification of undying evil in existence, and that tends to get to a person's head.

Marceline positioned herself between the two of them, much to Bryce's relief. The boy's tensed shoulders fell and he let out a long breath he'd been holding for who knows how long. "Dad, this is Bryce. He got sent here by a magical portal from another world, and these dorks are trying to figure out how to send him back. It turns out that the same sort of magic that sent his here used to be in the family axe, and according to Bonnibel, is also in your portals."

Abadeer eyed the axe in Marceline's hands, "What do you mean _used_ to be in the family axe? Are you telling me it has no power left?" the lord of the Nightosphere opened his mouth wide and his true face emerged from inside. "You have some explaining to do, Marceline!" he roared, shaking the very foundations of the house.

"Dad, not in front of my friends! Why do you always have to yell?!" Marceline shouted back, undaunted by her father's rage.

The demonic head retracted and Hunson Abadeer took a deep breath, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry sweetie. But please explain to me why the axe is powerless."

"Well, to be honest I don't know. I didn't even know it had any kind of power when I got it-"

"Stole it you mean," snapped her father.

"Whatever! I had no idea; I thought it was just a normal axe, so I turned it into a bass guitar, which is so much cooler."

Abadeer rubbed his temples furiously, "I was afraid something like this would happen. Spending so much time out of its original dimension has drained its energy, most likely irreversible damage I might add. And I'll bet the damage caused when you altered it didn't help."

Marceline looked truly remorseful, "Sorry, dad, I really didn't know…"

He walked to her and did something Finn never expected to see: he hugged his daughter. Marceline herself looked shocked for a moment before returning the embrace.

"It's okay, honey, you didn't know. Just ask me before you go taking any more of the Nightosphere's most powerful magical items, okay?" He released Marceline and began to pace across the living room. "You were unaware of this, but the axe had the power to open portals much like the one created with the ritual you used to bring me here. It could only be controlled by the one who wears the Nightosphere amulet that gives me my chaotic evil powers."

Finn stared at the axe in wonder, as did Marceline and the others, "Wow, I never would have guessed," he commented in a daze.

"Wait a minute," interjected Jake, "That means that Marcie's bass and that ritual use the same magic as the Enchiridion and the portal that sent Bryce here from his world!"

"Slamacow!" yelled Finn, "Marceline's dad, what can you tell us about that kind of magic?"

Hunson Abadeer stared into the distance as if trying to remember something he'd long forgotten. "Surprising as it may be, this is new information to me too, Finn. I never knew that it occurred outside the Nightosphere or its influence. You see, the Nightosphere is not only connected to Ooo, but to countless other worlds as well. The only reason I focus so much attention on this pathetic world is my daughter's interest in it, which I still don't understand to be honest. I can use items like that axe to travel to and from some of those worlds as I please, but others are more difficult. It's an incredibly complex and fickle magic to be sure."

Bryce stepped forward, "Mr. Lord of Evil, sir, have you ever heard of a world called Asal? That's my home."

"Asal? Hmm… It's not a world I've ever traveled to, I know that much."

"So it probably isn't connected to the Nightosphere then, right?" Marceline concluded.

Finn's brain began to throb. This was far more information than he'd been expecting. If what Hunson Abadeer said was true, the magic they were searching for was more or less random in nature. How could they possibly find or use it if it made this little sense?

"May I comment?" Finn had entirely forgotten that Princess Bubblegum was listening to the conversation via his crystal pendant.

"Go ahead, Prubs," Finn prompted.

"If I understand this correctly, which I most likely do, it seems that this magic is focused entirely on the connections and passages between dimensions. According to what we know about the Enchiridion, there are innumerable dimensions and worlds out there which connect to each other in several possible ways. We can assume that some are connected and others are not, which explains why Ooo is connected to both Asal and the Nightosphere even though the two are not connected to each other."

"Oh yeah, it's just like that little man inside the Enchiridion said, Finn!" Jake explained. "There are different ways to cross between dimensions, and the Enchiridion was just one! There are probably more pathways scattered around Ooo that connect to other dimensions! Maybe that's what the other places on Bubblegum's scans are!"

"My thoughts exactly!" affirmed the princess. "I'll make note of all of this here in my lab. But unfortunately I have more business to attend to. Call me again if you guys need me!" With that, Finn's pendant fell silent.

"I suppose I've told you all I can also," said Marceline's father. "I should probably go, there's chaos to sow you know."

"Thanks so much for your help, daddy." Marceline hugged her father again before performing the summoning ritual one last time to send her father back to his own dimension.

The boys and Marceline sat once more on the living room floor.

"Does anyone else's brain feel like chewed up gunk?" asked Jake.

"You said it, Jake." Bryce fell backwards onto the floor and shut his eyes. "At least we have some information to go on now, right? It's a lot more than we had a few hours ago."

Finn smiled at his friend, "Totally, man. We'll have you back home in no time at this rate!" To Finn's surprise, the thought of Bryce going home made him feel somewhat sad. For the first time he realized that it meant never seeing the boy again. For someone he'd only met that morning, Finn was incredibly fond of Bryce. He felt as if they naturally understood each other, a relationship like the one he shared with Jake. The three of them sure did make a rad adventuring team. But deep down Finn knew that getting Bryce home was far more important. He had a home, a family, and adventures of his own to get back to.

_Best to savor every moment of this journey, it could be over before I know it_.

Marceline interrupted Finn's thoughts. "I think I'm gonna search for some of that memory powder. Jake had a point about trying to get inside Simon's memories, he could know even more about the Enchiridion than he lets on."

"Any idea where to look?" asked Jake.

Marceline flashed a fanged smile, "I have my sources, boys. Let's leave it at that. I imagine you mortals are gonna need to sleep soon, it's getting kind of late after all."

On cue, all three boys let out a yawn.

"Yeah, probably best to head home," Finn laughed. "Will you let us know if you find anything? Or if you need help?"

"You got it. Wow, I guess this makes us all a team, huh? Lucky for you losers I guess, you have the vampire queen on your side!" Marceline cackled as she flew upstairs.

"She actually seems really great," commented Bryce as they made their way back to the tree fort.

Finn nodded his agreement. He'd always been rather fond of Marceline; she was the kind of friend who never let you down. Although she often came off as rough and rude, she always had his back when he needed it the most. She was right after all, they were lucky to have her on their side.


End file.
